Yahoo has some thoughts on how to manage an exit interview including asking for your comments to be anonymous (yeah, like that will happen), anticipating the important questions, and offering constructive solutions. It's an ok piece if you feel you MUST comment. But here are my thoughts on an exit interview:

1. An exit interview is for the benefit of the company only. In no way will you gain from it (in most cases). Remember, you've already moved on (theoretically) and have another job. So why do you care anyway?

2. Given #1, I would avoid an exit interview if at all possible. If asked to give one, I'd say "I don't really have anything of benefit to contribute in an exit interview" or something like that.

3. If forced to do a

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all the Free Money Finance readers out there. I wish you the best of holidays!

I'm taking today off and will have only a few posts tomorrow and over the weekend. Hope you too find some time to rest and relax. ;-)

US News lists five alternative investments to protect your portfolio as follows:

Real estate -- The bogeyman of this downturn should still—someday—be a viable part of your portfolio. The housing bust makes it easy to shun the sector entirely, but real estate investment trusts, or REITs, historically offer unique risk-management benefits.

Inflation-protected securities -- A slowing economy and the threat of deflation haunt the market today, but the return-killing specter of inflation will eventually re-emerge, if history is any guide. A small allocation of treasury inflation-protected securities, or TIPS, helps lower the risk of unexpected jumps in prices.

Commodities -- It may not be happening right now, but commodities generally move in the opposite

US News lists seven ways to retire during a recession, but the list to me reads more like "seven ways to retire when you can't really afford to." Here's their list:

Gotta laugh at the first two. Either that or say "duh!"

Anyway, I think most people will use a combination of working longer and downsizing -- not because they want to, but because they have to. And these two are the only real choices most people will have since they are often unwilling or unable to curtail their spending and start to save more.

Personally, I'm saving like a fiend for retirement -- fully contributing to my 401k, saving